What ARE yoga props & how to use them?

Yoga accessories, or props, can deepen your yoga practice, make positions more accessible and help you do yoga in a more sustainable way. Props like bolsters, yoga blocks, belts and blankets may seem advanced to use but once you know how to use them they can become your best friends in your practice. Learn more about using props here!

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Props – what, how and why?

Yoga accessories or props as they are also called, are various tools that can support your yoga practice and help you enhance your experience in yoga. They can both relieve the body in relaxing positions to release tension - and create power in other positions to make contact with your muscles.

B.K.S. Iyengar, who developed Iyengaryogan, introduced yoga props so that all yoga practitioners could do yoga regardless of physical condition or age. Props can help you make positions more efficient, easier, more stable and provide the support your body needs. Watch one of our recommended videos at the bottom of the post to learn more about how to use props and test classes where they are used. If you are interested in buying props, you will find everything you need for your yoga practice in the Yogobe Store.

Below, you can learn more about different yoga props and how they can support your yoga practice:

Yoga blankets – provides warmth and support

In addition to being a warming friend during relaxation, a yoga blanket is a fantastic tool in all possible positions. It can provide support under the knees, you can roll it up under the sitting bones when you sit in meditation and you can use it as support when the carpet or floor feels too hard. The size and weight distinguish a yoga blanket from a "regular" blanket.

Yoga blocks – a versatile tools

Yoga blocks are a versatile tool that can be used in several different ways in your yoga practice to improve the technique and make the positions more accessible. Placing the hands on two blocks extends the arms in positions such as forward folds and lunges, and they also support in yoga positions that work with the sides of the body and can be used as support in back bends. Yoga blocks are also a useful aid for both activating the muscles in physical yoga forms and for relaxing in calmer yoga forms such as yin and restorative yoga.

Yoga belt/yoga strap – helps your mobility

A yoga belt, also called a yoga strap, is a smart aid that you can use in positions where your mobility is limited, for example in positions when you should reach your feet and toes. The yoga belt then acts as an extension of your arms and allows you to get deeper into the position. If you are hypermobile, the yoga belt can provide a stabilizing support.

Yoga bolster – provides you with comfort & support

Bolsters are large, cylindrical pillows used to support the body in various positions. They relieve the body in all forms of yoga, but are especially useful in yin and restorative yoga to be able to achieve deeper relaxation. You can have the pad under your knees to relieve the lumbar spine in savasana, lean against it in a forward fold or sit on it during meditation.

Eye pillos – for your relaxation during slow yoga styles

During savasana and in calmer forms of yoga such as yin, restorative yoga and yoga nidra, an eye pillow is the icing on the cake. Many eye pillows are filled with lavender that smells lovely and has a calming effect.

Meditation pillow – for a better posture

With the help of a meditation pillow, you sit comfortably with a good posture for a longer period of time, which makes it easier for you to relax and focus on your yoga or meditation practice. The meditation pillow supports the sitting position by the hip coming up a little higher than your knees, which stabilizes the spine and improves posture.

Yoga mat towel – for sweaty yoga practices

A mat towel is a thin, suber-absorbent towel that is placed on the yoga mat and is perfect for sweaty hot yoga sessions and vinyasa classes. Mat towels provide good grip, are easy to take with you and can also be used as a hygienic protection over the mat at the yoga studio or gym.

Tip: Even if you have been yoga for a while, try using different props and see how it feels, maybe you can get a new experience of your body and positions.

Video recommendations – classes with props 

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